


Hidden Agents

by alo1004



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, CIA Agent AU, CIA Agent Ben, CIA Agent Hux, F/M, Kylo Ren and Rey Are Related, Luke and Chewy are uncles, M/M, Modern AU, Multi, Weirdest spy au you will read, inaccurate description of traveling probably, my american geography is bad, other tags to be added as needed, this isnt sponsored by uber i swear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-04-04 08:10:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14015988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alo1004/pseuds/alo1004
Summary: Years after they first met on a mission, Ben admits he hasn't been the most truthful to his family. Who knew meeting the in-laws would be more work than a CIA mission?A take on the prompt "my parents thought I was working for an insurance company in New York when really, I was joining the CIA so I just sort of never mentioned when I met you on an assassination-gone-wrong and now we’ve been married for five years and they still don’t know you exist, this has gotten wildly out of hand and you won’t stop laughing about it."





	1. Chapter One - A Call at Sunrise

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing more than a one shot and my first time writing Kylo or Hux. I'm on an adventure learning to write both characters haha. 
> 
> Shout out to @yeager_carl on twitter for beta reading! And you can find me on twitter @firstorderloki :)

The sun is rising when his phone goes off, waking him up on his day off. Not bothering to check the caller ID, Ben picks up, assuming it’s Phasma with an update from work. What he didn’t expect was the voice on the other end.

“So, calling at six in the morning is what it takes for you to pick up your mother’s calls, Ben?” With that, the man jolts forward, suddenly fully awake and cursing in his head. His husband stirs and curls forward hunting down Ben’s body heat.

“Mom, I wasn’t expecting to hear from you,” Ben starts nervously, sliding out of his side of the bed and creeping out of their bedroom, wanting to let the sleeping man rest a little longer. Both their internal clocks were still in shuffle from their last mission and his husband never slept in, so he evidently needed the sleep, though he would never tell Ben that himself.

“Of course, you weren’t, you wouldn’t have picked up had you known it was me,” Leia replies, and Ben lets out a sigh, walking into the kitchen to start the coffee machine. He would need all the caffeine in the world to deal with this. “You have been ignoring my calls for six months now. I’d ask why if I wasn’t so used to it. It’s a move your dad pulls sometimes too. How have you been, Ben?” She asks, her voice hinting that she missed him more than she voiced. Ben sighs at the comparison to his father, the two not having the best relationship.

“I’m fine, Mom. Work keeps me busy, you know? How are you?” He responds quietly, pulling up a chair from the kitchen island. If he couldn’t avoid the conversation as a whole, he would avoid certain topics. He was practically trained to do so anyway.

“It’s hard to believe an insurance company is keeping you so busy, but I’m just proud you’re working hard. I’m fine…” Leia continues, going off on a tangent. Ben occasionally throws in a “mhm” or an agreement as his mom talks about her daily life, more focused on pouring and nursing his cup of coffee and making Armitage a small breakfast than giving a proper response. It was rare for him to be up before the shorter of the two of them, so he might as well make the other man some breakfast for when he woke up. “Anyway, your Dad, your Uncle, and I were talking and we decided that we’re going to have a family reunion. You have to come, or one of us will hunt you down,” She finishes, proud to have caught her son in a trap. She would find a way to guilt him into this reunion even if it meant hunting him down and showing up at his doorstep. Ben tries not to choke on his coffee hearing that.

“What? Mom, you know I’m busy with work and all,” Ben tries, knowing he might not be able to escape family meetings any longer than he already has, but still trying anyway. He was too stubborn not to.

“We know that, Ben, and that’s why we haven’t seen you in seven whole years. We let it go for that long and dealt with hearing from you occasionally. But I draw the line here. You are coming or we will come to you. Rey is pregnant, you want to see her before she gives birth, right?”

“Rey is pregnant? Why didn’t she tell me?” He asks, his voice trailing off, a little hurt. Rey was the only one he kept weekly contact with. She told him most of what happened, and she was always his favorite cousin. He saw her almost as a twin. Last he heard, she was still with her two boyfriends, Finn and Poe.

“She told me to use it as an excuse to get you to come if I really wanted you here. We all miss you, Ben. We want you here, at least so we know you still physically exist,” She explains, showing how much she missed her son. Ben missed her too, but he knew he couldn’t lie to her face. The minute he saw her, the truth about his job and life would come out, the truth no one in his family knew.

Ben rubs his face with his hand, stressed out, when he notices a shadow. Armitage is sleepily walking out of their room and heading towards him, wrapped in a blanket, his eyes still hazy from sleeping. For anyone else, this would be an unusual sight, but Ben was just happy he got to see this side of his husband. Armitage didn’t let anyone see him without his guard up, something developed from years upon years of growing up in a gang and with an abusive father. His only exception was his husband, the one man who took the time to help him and who he loved with his whole heart.

The smaller of the two wraps his arms around Ben lazily and quietly questions who he’s on the phone with at such an hour. Ben smiles a little, turning around and wrapping an arm around his other half.

“It’s my Mom, babe,” He answers, slightly louder than planned, forgetting the phone was still next to his mouth.

“Babe? Ben have you been hiding a partner from us?! My god, bring them with you! I can’t believe you hid this from us. I’m going now, but I expect you two to both be here. Rey will send you the details! We love you, Ben,” Leia hangs up before he can cover up his mistake. The sound of the call ended beep rings in his ear as he slowly puts the phone down. He messed up. He messed up bigtime.  
The ginger lifts his head up to look at Ben, sensing the brewing trouble.

“Armie... I may have made a small mistake.”

“Oh God, Ben, what did you do now?” He questions only half serious, pulling away to turn and make a cup of tea. Seems like today would be a day filled with stress and he would be ready.

“How do you feel about heading to California for a bit?”

“California? Did your mom finally find a way to get you to go?” He smirks, having known this was coming for a while. It was unusual that he never met his in-laws before now, but knowing Ben, there was a reason. Plus, not having met them before meant less drama and opinions for them to deal with when they got married.

“She got both of us. Oh, and I fixed you breakfast, it’s by the fridge. I know it’s only a bowl of cereal, but it’s the only thing I can’t burn,” Hugging Ben and giving him a kiss on the lips, Armitage takes the bowl and his cup of tea over to the island and sits across from him.

“So, what does she exactly does she know? When did you last see her?” He asks genuinely interested, knowing his husband hasn’t seen her in quite a while. Though neither of the men were amazingly close to their family, Ben still had contact with his, unlike Armitage. The latter wouldn’t say it out loud, but he was glad Ben still had ties to his family. He would always be thankful to have Ben in his life, however having no blood ties was lonely.

Knowing he had been caught, Ben covers his face in shame. “My family thinks I work at an insurance company full time, no one commented on that but they’re probably just happy I have a job. They also believe I’m a lonely loser with like one friend.” With that, his husband bursts out laughing.

“I’m married to a fool!” He declares, shocked. “Leia doesn’t seem like one to believe a lie that big, how did you manage to get yourself in such a mess?” Armitage interrogates, out of breath from laughter. Only Ben would get himself into such a rut.

“I can calm my voice down enough for her to believe it, if she saw my face… it would be a different story…” He trails off, a little ashamed. Armitage sobers and leans forwards, realizing the implications.

“When did you last see them face to face?” He asks, wanting to verify his beliefs.

“Not counting Rey, uh seven years?” Ben answers, voice going up towards the end, making his response seem more like another question.

“BEN! It’s been seven years?! I’m amazed you dragged this out that long,” He admits, knowing Ben isn’t the best at keeping big secrets. How did he manage to keep the whole family in the dark that long when he couldn’t even keep surprise parties a secret?

“Yeah, I haven’t seen her since I told her I got the job at the insurance company. Then, I went off to do the tests for the CIA. I didn’t want her to see me fail again," Armitage sighs and puts his hand over his husband’s. After being around him so long, the ginger learned many things about Ben that others didn’t, all because he hid it away. After his father left him for his teen years, he only really had his mom. Things never went his way and Ben was scared if he failed too much, Leia would abandon him too.

“Clearly you didn’t fail. You never told her though, I assume?”

“I was scared she would be upset, and my position wasn’t very solid yet either, so I lied. We both know how my first mission went… not exactly as planned. I wouldn’t change how it went though.”

“I’d hope not!” Armitage exclaims. Had it not have been for that mission, neither of them would have met. “Do you know what you are going to do?”

“That, I can figure out when Rey texts me. For now, I just want to spend the rare day off we've been given with someone important to me,” Ben states softly and at that, Armitage feels as if he could melt. “Millicent,” He finishes. Of course, who did Armitage think he married? The smaller of the two feigns offence as Ben laughs. “You know I’m joking. Though I love Millicent, I love you most,” Clarifying his joke, Ben grabs his hand and pulls him back to their bedroom. If they had the day off, why not make use of the time and have fun?


	2. Chapter Two - Coffee and Tea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two and the boys start preparing themselves for the upcoming mess. An introduction to my fav, Phasma and a general background of the current CIA case the dream trio are working on. Still trying to write the characters decently.
> 
> Shout out to @yeager_carl on twitter for beta reading! And you can find me on twitter @firstorderloki :)

It was three in the afternoon and Ben was at work when Rey finally texted. Sitting at his desk, researching the newest threat on one screen and going through Rey’s Facebook page to find any mention of pregnancy on the other, his phone vibrated and moved slightly on his desk, peaking his attention. Pulling up a word document to cover her Facebook profile and look like he was working, Ben turns his attention to his phone. If his boss saw him he’d just say he was taking a break, it was no big deal.

 

**Twin Rey:**

Ur mom says ur coming for the for the reunion??? Does this mean u finally get to meet my boyfriends???

_(Sent: 3:23 pm)_

           **Twin Ben:**

Yeah miss didn’t tell me she’s pregnant. Mom roped me into going and I’m bringing someone with. Can’t wait to finally give them the talk.

_(Sent: 3:25 pm)_

**Twin Rey:**

YOURE BRINGING SOMEONE?! 

SAFDGH WHO?!

_(_ _Sent: 3:26 pm)_

Ive been with them for 3 years and we are having a kid I think if they were gonna mess wth me they would have done it by now.

(Sent: 3:28)

            **Twin Ben:**

Don’t think I’ve forgotten that you didn’t tell me. When even is this reunion anyway?

 _(Sent: 3:29)_  

**Twin Rey:**

Like nxt week wait Finn says It’s sunday till friday…ur still coming right?

_(Sent: 3:35 pm)_

            **Twin Ben:**

It’s too late for me to back out, Mom said she would hunt me down and you know what she’s like when she’s upset…it’s scary.

_(Sent: 3:36 pm)_

We rarely take sick days or use vacation time so we should be able to get time off if we both plead family emergency.

_(Sent: 3:38 pm)_

**Twin Rey:**

Tht sounds fancy for someone working at an insurance company

_(Sent: 3:39 pm)_

            **Twin Ben:**

It’s just protocol. I’ll get back to you after I book the flights and stuff.

_(Sent: 3:40 pm)_

**Twin Rey:**

KK call whenever!

_(Sent: 3:41 pm)_

 

Sighing and pocketing his well-used iPhone, the man stands up and stretches a bit. He missed Rey. If he was getting anything out of this, it was seeing her. Also, scaring her boyfriends a bit could be fun. Maybe he could get Armitage in on it too… or would Armitage stop him? Well, he thinks, now is a perfect time to find out.

Making his way around to the other side of the office to find his husband, Ben stops quickly to pick up a cup of coffee and a cup of tea, then walks up to the desk. The older agent puts the cup of tea down near Armitage’s hand, kisses his head then sits on the desk, nursing his coffee.

Looking up from his screens, Armitage smiles and takes a sip of his tea. “What brought you over, darling?” he asks, both hands wrapped around the cup Ben bought him. It was moments like these where they were like a normal couple, well normal if you didn’t know them well.

“Rey texted the details for our trip. I figured I’d take a break to tell you and bring you something to drink,” Ben starts, a small smile presenting itself at the sigh of his husband cradling his tea. He looked so soft and if you didn’t know him, he would seem innocent. “She says that we need to be there Sunday through Friday so I thought we could we arrive on Saturday and stay at a hotel for the night?” He finishes, smirking when he mentions a hotel. The two had a history with hotels, spending the night in one again would be as entertaining as always. This time, Phasma couldn’t disrupt their fun either.

The ginger takes another drink of his tea, one of his eyebrows raising at the mention of a hotel. “So, a week-long trip. How are we going to approach this to get the time off? And a hotel with you, what are you planning?” Ah, so Armitage was onto him.

“I was going to email our boss and tell her there was a family emergency and we needed to take a week to go help, it’s not like we take loads of vacations or sick days or anything. The hotel, handsome, is for me to know and you to not,” he replies, his voice smooth like velvet and suggestive at what could be planned. Armitage feels the blush creep up to his cheeks.

“Okay, you do that. I will organize the flights and I assume you will take care of the hotel?”

“Of course, can’t have you finding out the surprise now can we? I’m going to go back now before I get in too much trouble for taking a long break.” Ben goes to walk away when he feels something pull his arm back.

“You know I’ll find out what you’re planning right?” His voice smooth like liquid gold, attempting to put on a suave image though his cheeks betrayed him, still glowing a fleshy pink against his pale skin at the idea of what Ben could be planning. It was impossible to know what that man had in head at moments like these, it could be something like jumping on the beds and goofing off or it could something more adultlike. Well, Armitage thought, he would find a way to figure it out. He always did.

Kissing Armitage's now flushed cheek, he replies that that was what he was counting on and walks back to his station to start the email he would sent to their boss. If they were going to have to go through a week with his family, he would make sure there was at least something good to come from their trip other than seeing Rey. Something they could both enjoy.

Taking a drink of his coffee, he emails Hairan that his mom just called about a family emergency and asks he and Armitage can take the week off so they can go help Han get the help he needs. A lie he is happy to use. As always, she replies quickly wishing them the best and that they will be in her prayers.

To those who haven’t worked for her for almost a decade, she seemed stone cold and emotionless but he knew different. The woman hid behind a mask for the sake of her job, and she did it will. If she was as emotionless as she seemed, she wouldn’t have let Armitage in, but she did. She helped Ben save him and they would both always be thankful. Beneath it all, she was a big softie.

Quickly shooting off a text to Armitage that they got the week off, he goes back to his work. Ben wanted to at least get some leads on this case before they left. People kept disappearing and this time, one of the missing children was the governor’s kid. The governor has begged them to find their kid and vowed to do anything to help. The help would always be appreciated however their begging did nothing, Ben, Armitage and Phasma smelt gang on the case the minute it was presented to the CIA and they claimed the case. Gang related cases were their favorite missions, although sometimes, they had an small effect on Armitage because of his past.

The two wouldn’t let anything hit him too hard though, Phasma happened to be rather fond of Armitage, him and Ben were her only real friends in the office. She helped Armitage get away from his father and into the agency with Ben. She was also one of the few who knew the minute the two got married, playing the important role as the witness and driving them to a fancy wine bar after to celebrate. She and Armitage had a more indifferent air when on missions and around others, but they let Ben in. He was the only one who could see through it besides Phasma’s partner that he had yet to meet. He had heard great things about them though and they had to be nice if Phasma felt she could trust them.

Finding more information about the case was important. They had to put it on pause for a bit in order to complete a side mission that was connected, but after they had thought they could focus only on the main case. His mom just had to put a hole in that plan though and now they had two missions, figuring out the case and the family reunion. He would have to talk to Phasma about it Thursday when the three went out so she would aware of them going away and it just being her on the case.

Phasma could handle it, he knew she could. At least, she could handle it for a week. After all, how bad could the case get?


	3. Chapter Three - A Blast from the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More details on the case, Armitage uses his memories for good, the trio go out to eat and Phasma gives Kylo a warning.

The day went by and came to an end. The trio worked hard, piecing clues together in hopes of getting an inch closer to closing the case. The quicker they solved it, the faster people would, hopefully, return. With it all, the governor visited and Armitage was assigned to explain where they were in the case. Zu paid attention, but the agent could tell this was all getting to them. All they wanted was the case solved and to get their child back and the trio was trying the best they could.

All they had was the name, age and sex of each missing person. Everyone was between the age of five and fifteen, mostly boys, but the occasional girl would go missing as well. This is something that Armitage felt the need to bring attention to, knowing it’s the best period to shape and manipulate a child. He after all, would know. Armitage could base what was happening to them on what his father, and his gang, would do.

The kids would be separated, each told they were different and special. They would be told that they had a choice, but that they were meant to work for and eventually lead the gang. It was fate that they were taken after all and the kids would be reminded of this continuously. The gang would count on fear clouding the kid’s memories so they wouldn’t remember their decisions or other children along the way. This would lead to confusion and would make them easier to mold into whatever image the gang wanted.

Younger kids would be easier to convince. They would be told their parents wanted them to join and most would become members after hearing this. They would be treated as kindly as one could in a gang. Eventually a member would pick a child to raise and would mold them to the gangs image. Boys would be taught to lead and fight. Weapons and drugs would be an important topic and they would develop skills in those areas over the years. Girls would be taught to spy and manipulate, their body built from scratch and perfected after years of practice. Armitage knew, he went through it all himself.

Older kids would be harder to convince. If they didn’t join after being told their parents wanted them to and put up a fight, the treatment would be harsher. Threats would be made against people they loved, meals would become less frequent and torture would be put in place if it went on too long. The older the kid, the less likely they would be to get personal training and they would have to fend for themselves within the gang. The training would be harder and the survival rate smaller. All of it would be to make a perfect member, the perfect manipulated soldier.

Armitage explained it all to the others in detail, avoiding mentioning his past. This is something however, that wasn’t told to Zu. Knowing this could easier drive them to do something regretful or even to madness. All mention of what was happening from within the gang would be avoided.  After talking them through the basic information the trio had found, Armitage escorts them to their car so that they felt safe. This was protocol when they had outsiders come to the office and it was his turn to do so.

Helping the governor to their car and making sure they get in, he stands on the sidewalk waiting until they left in order to return to the office. The dark grey Escalade’s engine starts and Zu buckles up. Putting their hands on the wheel, Armitage sees the hesitation in their eyes. Zu takes their hands off the wheel and lowers the window on the drivers side, looking at the agent.

“Please, bring back my child,” They plead, voice strained and quiet.

“Bringing the children back is our main goal and we will bring them back.” He offers as reply, his voice honeyed. No one deserved to lose their child when they cared that much for them. If only all parents could care that much, he thinks bitterly to himself. Zu replies with a nod and drives away, leaving Armitage alone.

The rest of the day passed by like a bullet and soon, it was time to leave. Ben packs up his sketchbook full of his work in his worn black canvas and leather book bag,  red stitches littering the bag from fixing it so often, and finished his cup of coffee. He throws the cup in the trashcan near his desk, getting it in the first time. The tall man quietly cheers and checks his phone. 5:13 PM.  Slipping his arm through the left strap and slinging it half-heartedly on his shoulder, Ben turns off his computers and leaves his desk.

Heading towards his husband’s desk, Ben notices that Phasma already beat him there. Standing next to Armitage, the tall blonde is leaning against the wall with her black leather briefcase in hand and conversing with the smaller redhead. She must have said something funny because when Ben approaches them, Armitage covers his mouth while letting out a small and Phasma has a smile on her face. Both of these were rarities few got to see. Good, he thought, he needs some time to laugh when they are so preoccupied with the case and the family reunion.

“Hopefully I’m not the butt of the joke?” Ben starts, letting the two know of his presence.

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Armitage jokes with a smirk. God, how did Ben get so lucky?

“I was telling him about how Aeron spilt the whole coffee carafe over himself by mistake,” Phasma explains and the imagery of it all makes Ben smile.

“At least he can finally say he’s hot,” Ben jokes. “We going?” The group leaves the building, each talking about their day and deciding where they would go. Since the couple choose the last two places they went out to eat, it was the blonde’s turn to choose. Directing Hux, the driver for the trip there, to her favorite Italian restaurant, she explains that they have the best menu she’s found so far. Her partner took her there and she had been hooked since.  

Upon arrival, they were welcomed by a server named Mikata and brought to a table further away from the crowd, Mikata knowing the girl as a loyal customer and giving them a good spot. After being armed with their drink of choice, Phasma with a glass of white wine, Armitage with red wine and Ben with a beer, the three began to talk about their lives as of late.

Phasma was dating a lovely person who worked at the bakery down the street from her apartment. Lately, the two went out at least twice a week and usually ended staying at each other’s houses. Since they have known each other for over a year, Phasma was thinking of asking them to move in with her, but had to plan out her emotions first. The woman wasn’t the best at expressing them and though she knew that her partner recognized and accepted that, she wanted to make sure they felt loved and cared for. Even though Ben and Armitage weren’t the best people to take advice on that topic from, they still offered her support and made her feel better about making the move. 

Afterwards, while eating their meals, Ben brings up the reunion. Telling their friend how it went down and explaining the background story, Armitage sat deep in thought while the two talked. He had heard plenty about Ben’s family and though he played it off like he didn’t, Armitage knew that he cared about them and their opinion. What would Leia and Rey think of him? Will Ben tell them the whole story when he explains what has happened in the last 7 years? Would they be supportive? What would happen if they weren’t?

Then there’s the matter of Han. How would Ben react to seeing him after so long? He still couldn’t understand how Han could live with himself abandoning his own son and wife. No good person should do that unless they had a good reason and from what Armitage knew, Han didn’t have one.

Armitage was brought back to the present when he feels Ben’s hand on his thigh under the table. Ben must have figured out what was going on in his head and was trying to comfort him without dragging attention to it. He always did have a way to understand what Armitage was thinking or feeling even when he didn’t voice it. It was almost as if the man could read his mind. 

“There’s no problem with me covering you two when you’re away. If I find anything important I’ll let you both know in the group chat, but otherwise, I’ll keep work off your back for now. I don’t know how you will both manage this,” She states, knowing a family reunion never means good things when it involves Solo family. The couple would never truly experience a normal family life, she thought to herself and almost pitied them. Almost. Not that she had a normal family life either.

Mikata quietly slides up the table, collecting the plates while there. “Okay, will this all be charged to one person or are we paying individually?” He smiles, the plates balanced on both arms professionally. That alone is worth a tip, a pure talent, Ben thinks to himself. If he were to try that, he’s certain there would be broken china on the floor.

“I believe it is my turn to pay,” Armitage responds, looking to the other two for objections, but receiving none as he thought he would. Ben paid for their trip to the pub last month and Phasma paid for the bar outing the month before that.

Mikata smiles at this, happy Phasma had friends, as he only ever saw the blonde with the same person. The two may not know each other well, but he was glad she had friends.

“When you are ready to pay, just head up to the front counter. Have a great evening,” The boy finishes, taking off with the dishes. The trio finish their drinks and Armitage heads to pay, the two others being in charge of getting the car from where they parked. Tonight, it was Ben’s turn to drive, or he would have had more than a bottle of beer. They all took turns driving so everyone had chances to enjoy their drinks and still be safe. After all, it would be bad for a CIA agent to be caught drinking and driving.

The walk to the car is quiet and Phasma is left in her thoughts, wondering if she should tell Ben what she found out at work. She knew she wouldn’t tell Armitage, it would stress him out and make him anxious, but if she told Ben, he would at least be able to keep an eye out. Halting in her steps, Phasma decides she should tell him, it was the safest move. Ben notices that she stopped walking and turns around to face her.

“Phasma, are you okay?”

“I found something out today that you should be made aware of and Armitage can’t know,” Phasma starts, choosing her words carefully. They only had a little time before Armitage caught up. “I found a connection to the case today.”

“That’s great!” Ben cheers, not realizing the gravity of what the connection must be for them to not tell his husband.

“Ben, the connection links Brendol to the case,” She whispers watching his face go from cheerful to confused. “He hid for a while, but I think he is trying to find a new heir. Armitage was able to piece together what would happen to the kids so he must be seeing similarities to his past. It’s a possibility that he is trying to replace his son with another kid, a better kid,”

“Are … are you sure?”

“I haven’t confirmed it, but it is looking like a big possibility. I can update you on it when you are gone if I find anything, but please, just keep an eye out. We never know with Brendol,” Phasma warns. If anyone would keep Armitage safe it would be Ben, he wouldn’t let anything happen.

“I’ll keep him safe,” before he could continue and thank Phasma, Ben heard approaching footsteps. Armitage must be done paying. “I think that’s the car there,” he covers, pointing to their car.

“Ben, do you not recognize our car? Should we call an Uber instead of driving?” The ginger questions jokingly, knowing that between the three, Ben is the most likely to lose the car and that there was no way he was drunk after only drinking a bottle. That boy could drink several growlers before getting tipsy.

Ben ruffles Armitage’s hair, annoying his husband who always styles his hair specifically and then the trio get in the car to go home. The mood in the car is joyful as Ben pushes the conversation with Phasma to the back of his head. The couple drop her off at her apartment and then head home.

Dropping their bags by their front door, Armitage making sure to take his shoes off to put on his slippers and put them in an orderly fashion by the door and sighing when Ben doesn’t. The two change into their sleepwear, Ben finally removing his shoes, and curl up next to each other in bed. Armitage wraps his arms around Ben’s torso, the taller of the two pulls the blankets over them and turns off the lamp.

The next day passes fast, the two-working overtime to make up for taking time off for the family reunion. Ben hears nothing about Brendol from their blonde friend and in a way, it puts him at ease. No one wanted to hear about that man coming back from wherever he hid. Work is busy as always, new information continuously coming in, however, as usual, not much was usable.

The trio take their breaks together, putting a system in place for when Ben and Armitage are gone. If anything big came in Phasma would call them, but otherwise she wouldn’t. The unspoken plan put in place between Phasma and Ben was to continue without Armitage finding out.

Armitage and Ben only left the office around 10 at night, making sure everything at the office was okay to go. Both tired, they eat the last bit of leftovers they have at home and clock out, practically falling in bed.

Finally, Saturday came. Armitage had booked their flights for the afternoon so they wouldn’t have to leave their place until after 3. This gave them time to pack. Packing together was a ritual for the two. Both doing their missions together, they had a system in place for packing. Armitage would start first and then make Ben pack as well so he didn’t procrastinate.

This time, Armitage had to rely on Ben. He had never been to San Francisco and all he knew were facts. Ben however, grew up there and knew what to expect and pack. He especially knew what to wear around his family. He was able to stop Armitage from packing all formal wear, knowing that the boy only wanted to impress, but explaining that wasn’t really the dress code for his family and that the boy would boil from how hot it would be. However, he couldn’t stop Armitage from being nervous and let the boy pack a suit just for comfort.

When they both finished packing, they could easily zip their bags, knowing they had everything they would need. Armitage was still a bit nervous. It was cute in a way, Ben thought, he rarely saw Armitage nervous and it was so clear that he was only nervous because he didn’t want Ben’s family to have a bad impression. That was impossible though. The solos had low standards for Ben and he knew that, they never thought he would amass to much. Him having a job at an insurance company and having a partner was huge to them and they would no doubt be happy.

How would they react to him being a CIA agent and married though?


	4. Chapter Four - Breaking Free

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The boys land in California, the surprise is revealed and we met Rey and Co

The sunset had already happened by the time the two boys had landed in California. Neither of them had told anyone, besides Phasma of course, that they were arriving the night before the reunion so that they could have it to themselves. The plan was to spend the night at a hotel of Ben’s choice,  somewhere Armitage still was unaware of much to his dismay,  and meet Rey and Co for brunch before any drama went down. Though the more Armitage thought, the more he questions if that could be the real start of the drama.

He was unaware of just how much this cousin knew. Did she know about them being married or did she think they were just dating? Or was she kept in the dark and he was unknown to her? What about their job? Would Ben tell her the truth straight out so they could have an ally while Armitage would talk to the boyfriends, would he tell her and her boyfriends at the same time or would he avoid mentioning it at all? Not knowing how this would go down stressed him out, but he could imagine how much more his past self would have been stressed out.

Truth be told, when he was younger this is completely different from what he thought he would be doing. Sixteen-year-old Armitage wouldn’t have seen a future like this possible for someone like him. To him, he only saw himself being stuck in his father’s gang and web forever. There would be no escape for him, it was his fate to follow in Brendol’s footsteps. Sure, he knew the gang wasn’t doing right, but it was the family business. He had nothing to fall back on, it was all he had. He could kill his father and leave, but he knew the members were loyal and he wouldn’t last long.

The two men hailed a taxi and Ben quietly gave the directions to the driver. The man wouldn’t lie, he was a bit surprised his husband hadn’t figured it out yet. However, he did use a unique method to hide the evidence.

“So, how did you keep it a secret?” Armitage asks, both impressed and a little annoyed that he couldn’t find a single clue on where they were going and what was happening. Ben wouldn’t lie, he was proud of himself. Keeping surprises from Armitage was hard work. He supposed he could tell him what the plan was now.

“Well, I know how much you like art galleries so I got us a hotel on 3 rd street,” a small smile made itself present when Armitage let out a small gasp. “We have tickets to go to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art on Wednesday so we can get away from everyone for a bit and you can admire art while I admire you doing that because we all know that’s what will happen.”

“Oh Ben, this is perfect. How did you manage to hide it from me though?”

“I knew you would look at our joint account and emails and couldn’t think of any way to hide confirmations until Phasma gave me an idea,” he pauses as Armitage mutters to himself about how sneaky Phasma is and then continues. “I picked the hotel and mentioned the tickets, she paid for it all and I pay her after the trip,” Ben finishes, proud of the plan the two made. Armitage reaches over and slips his hand into Ben’s as a silent thank you. Not knowing was worth it.

Neither of the men got many breaks. In fact, their last break was their honeymoon day. Sure, they traveled a lot for missions, going everywhere from Nunavut to Tokyo to help other secret services, but that didn’t leave them with time for themselves. They were on call 24/7 with the CIA so breaks were almost non-existent.

“Sirs, we are here. The total is 51 dollars.” Opening his wallet, Armitage passes the total to the driver and the duo get out of the car, taking their bags from the trunk.

Checking in, Armitage and Ben take their time to admire the hotel in its beautiful detail. Ben did a great job choosing where they would stay. It succeeded in blending Ben’s more simplistic tastes with Armitage’s more regal taste, all while adding a modern flare. Calling the architecture gorgeous would be an insult, it was perfect.  

The rest of the night was a hazy blur between dropping their bags off in their room, finding something to eat close by and going to lay in bed. 

Armitage laid his head on Ben’s shoulder, both finding their way into their normal sleeping position comfortably. The two fit together like puzzle pieces and the idea of sleeping alone seemed impossible after all this time.

“Ben, what if they find out everything?”

“I will only tell them what you feel comfortable me telling. And if you do feel comfortable and they reject you, well then they reject me too,” Ben answers moving to kiss the horizontal scars on his husbands chests. “You are my husband and I’m not ashamed of any part of you or your past, and neither should you,” he finishes his speech, moving up to kiss him. 

“I love you,” Armitage whispers as they fall back into their original position.

“And I you.”

Both boys eyes slowly shutting, they quickly fall asleep, Armitage’s internal conflict silenced for the night. 

The sun was rising when Ben’s phone rang again, the loud blast of the interlude of Highway to Hell waking the two up. Armitage groans in annoyance of being woken up before their alarm and Ben feels the vibration from it on his neck as he reaches to get his phone. This was some serious déjà vu. Letting out one last deep sigh, he moves the phone to his ear and hit accept.  The smaller of the two moves his body closer, pushing his body around the other’s as he listens to the call.

“Hello?” Ben answers, the fact that he was sleeping showing in his deep raspy voice.

“Ben? We are leaving now so I’m just checking. We are meeting at Beanstalk Café at eight right?” he hears Rey’s chipper voice ask. It’s too early for her to be happy, Ben thinks to himself, too damn early.

“Yeah, we will meet you there,” he replies. The two say their goodbyes and hang up as Armitage turns his head to look at Ben. The taller of the two sighs and drop his phone on the bedside table, wrapping his arm around his husband again. “Ten more minutes,” he mutters and the two stay like that until they feel it’s time to get ready.

After showering, together, of course, and both getting dressed, Ben turns to Armitage and unbuttons the top button of his shirt. Softly putting his hands-on Armitage’s cheeks, he looks him in the eyes and promises him that everything will go fine.

Hand in hand, the two grab their stuff and leave, locking the door behind them. The café was only a five-minute walk from their hotel and they would make it in time. If anything, they would little early for their double date so they had no need for a taxi or to run.

Ben looks around, but Rey was nowhere to be seen. Ben orders a coffee and a turkey sandwich and Armitage gets tea and a bagel. Taking their orders and sitting down at a table that can seat six, thinking they will wait for the trio, they hear the bell chime from the door opening.

Two men and a woman walked in holding hands and go up to the counter to place their order. The brunette woman turns to look around for someone when she spots her cousin in the corner with a ginger man. Rey pokes the man not ordering and points them out. Collecting and paying for their orders, the three head toward Ben and Armitage.  

“Ben! Finally!” Rey’s voice chimes as she, Poe and Finn sit down across from the duo. “This is Finn,” she starts her introductions pointing over to a brown skinned man sporting dark wash jeans and a grey t-shirt that poked out from his yellow buttoned-up cardigan.

“Nice to meet you all, Rey has told us a lot about you Ben.” Finn emulated sunlight and as Ben tries to spot any flaws first off, the only one who could find was that he seemed too nice, if that was possible.

“and this, is Poe,” Rey finishes introducing her boyfriends, and the gaze turns to Poe. The man sat with confident air, wearing skinny jeans, a white shirt and a leather jacket. A cool man, Ben thought, I might have to keep an eye on him.

“Hey,” Poe leans over to shake the two men’s hands. Finn covers his mouth after letting out a quiet and small snort, hoping no one heard. Poe was pretending to be cool, he didn’t think Ben had noticed it yet, Finn thought, but Poe was an honest to god dork. A cute dork, even with his cool facade.

During this all, Armitage quietly watches the interaction. Rey was clearly happy to see her cousin again and he knew the two were close. Ben talked about how they had essentially been raised together, Rey’s mom having dropped her off on Luke’s doorsteps as a baby, Leia then taking position as her mother figure. After Han left and even while he was around, but distant to his son, Luke was the closest Ben had to a father figure. The two always got mistaken as twins at school, being born a week apart, and since they were so close, they started seeing each other as such. Armitage knew that she was important to him.

Now how do I make her like me, Armitage thinks to himself, wanting the important people in Ben’s life to like him.

“I missed you Rey.”

“Then why were you away so long Mr. ‘I’m so busy,’” she interrupts and Poe ,who was taking a drink from his latte at the time, struggles to not choke on his drink by laughing.

“Yeah, I was busy at my job, it’s where I met Armitage,” he starts, trying to slowly slide into the news he is going to break. Rey turns to observe the man to Ben’s right. Clean cut, seems polite, well organized, which is something Ben could honestly use. She couldn’t see any major faults, so why was Ben nervous? What was he hiding? “We are meeting everyone else tonight right?”

“Yeah, looking forward to seeing if Uncle Chewie manages to catch something on fire by mistake again,” Rey laughs at the memory. Luke and Leia’s friend who they nicknamed Chewie (which caught on with everyone else, she can’t even remember his real name it’s been so long) had a tendency to cause accidents. At the last reunion where everyone was together, he was barbecuing and his shirt caught fire.

“Is … is Han coming?” the man asks, his voice somber at the thought. His husband gives his hand a squeeze under the table for support.

“We don’t know yet or I swear I’d tell you, you know how he just appears sometimes,” Rey answers, sad she couldn’t tell him he wasn’t going to show up, but not wanting to lie to him. Ben sighs, knowing she is right. Han was like teenage acne, he showed up when he wasn’t wanted with no warning.

“Okay, I have something I need to tell you all and you have to promise not to freak out,” Ben jumps into it, ready to take the plunge. 

“Oh my gosh are you having a baby too?!”

“Rey, babe, I don’t think that’s it,” Poe laughs, both boys patting her back as she pouts. He could only imagine the chaos of two Solo’s getting babies around the same time.

“No, I would have hidden that until I had the baby in my arms before telling you as payback,” he states, and Armitage warns the others that Ben was serious. That’s something he would do if he wasn’t about to make the playing ground of hiding stuff equal. “I haven’t forgotten that and uh can we consider ourselves equal with what I’m about to say?”

“For you to finally drop this, yes,” the woman agrees, wanting to equal the ground and put it all behind them. It’s not like she wasn’t going to tell him, she really was, but she really missed him and knew Leia could use it to guilt him into coming. Ben and Armitage both prepared themselves for the reaction. Though Armitage wasn’t a hundred percent sure what was going to happen, he knew that no matter what he would support his husband no matter what he chooses to tell them.

“Armitage and I are CIA Agents and he is my husband.”


	5. Chapter Five - Spit Takes and Phone Calls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally meet the organa/solo family and the brunch meeting is done. How will Armitage be welcomed into the family? Also, how are things back in New York with Phasma?
> 
> Sorry it took a while to update, updates will be off in time for a bit for both my mental health and because I graduate soon and need to finish all my work. Thank you for your constant support and for understanding. I can be found at @figureskaterhux on twitter :)

Rey reacted to the news as any normal person would in her situation would, a spit take.

"YOU'RE WHAT?!" And of course, at the loud noise the general cafe population turn around to check what could have caused such a commotion. "Sorry everyone, we are okay," she states, not half as embarrassed as she should be.

"Can I just say, props on managing to keep that from her for seven years. It's hard to keep things from her, so I can only imagine the work you put into hiding this from her," Poe congratulates him as Rey smacks him lightly for the comment.

Sure, it was hard to keep secrets from her, but it wasn't all her fault. Most of her childhood had been clouded in secrets, so if she had a chance to find out what was being hid from her, she would try her hardest to find out. It didn't make sense to most, but it was who she was. Finn and Poe wouldn't lie, sometimes it was irritating that they couldn't hide things from her when they wanted to surprise her, but it was also a part of Rey and they loved her all the same. She loved them, all their small faults and all, so they could love her just the same. Plus, it was rare they purposely hide anything from her. After all, what healthy relationship is formed on lies?

"I think this is important for us to know, who have you told so far?" Finn questions calmly, holding Rey's hand in one hand and Poe's in the other. If no one knew yet and the men wanted it to stay between the five of them, they would have to know.

"No one knows yet," Armitage chimes in, following suit and putting his hand in Ben's.

"I'm going to tell everyone soon I just - I just wanted you to know first," Ben states, his voice fading towards the end, embarrassed. "I don't know what I'd do without my twin."

“Oh Ben,” Rey replies softly, touched. “You wouldn’t lose me. Are you happy and safe?”

“I’ve never been happier.”

“Then why would you lose me? If you are happy, why should I oppose? It is your life after all and I’m so glad you found someone who loves and supports you.”

The group stay for over an hour, discussing what they had missed and catching up. The sight of Ben happy with his cousin made Armitage’s heart swell and he even had the chance to get somewhat close with Finn and Poe, poking fun at what seemed to be the family stubbornness. An alliance formed and the married couple was glad they had support with their situation, something they would need when they told everyone else tonight.

Eventually, they had to leave, having all finished their food and drinks. They wouldn’t want to keep using a space someone else could use, especially if they were done. Knowing they would see each other later for supper at the reunion, everyone said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.

The meeting filled Armitage with a small sense of hope. If Rey, Finn and Poe had been able to accept their truth, then maybe, the others would to. Though, this wouldn't stop him from making sure they had a backup plan. The ginger man always had one ready and this situation especially required caution. He had to be able to get himself and Ben out if something went wrong, though he would put Ben first if he had to chose.

Putting someone else's safety first is something new to him. After being alone for so long, he grew used to always putting himself first, but Ben changed him. For the good, of course, he would never complain about the changes Ben brought him, but he had to acknowledge that he had changed. He wasn't as selfish, he had slightly opened up, he had his own life and most of all, he had friends, something he never thought he would have. Ben brought out the good in him and helped him and he would make sure he did the same thing. Ben would be safe, he would protect his husband even if it caused his own downfall.

The two men went back to their suite, appreciating each other's presence and relaxing watching television. Armitage was never aware of how bad modern television was and failed to understand how one could handle watching these Kardashian people for hours on end, they complained so much even when they had a better life than most. Ben fell asleep on Armitage's leg for a bit and butterflies erupted in his stomach just like they always do. Ben felt safe around him, someone felt safe around him. It's something he would never get used to, but if Ben felt safe enough to fall asleep on him, then he wouldn't wake him.

The sun started setting and after looking at his watch, Armitage kissed Ben forehead to wake him. He would let him sleep, but it was four thirty-four and they agreed to meet the others in an hour. At the feeling, Ben eyes flutter open and Armitage thanks whatever god or gods are up there for blessing him with Ben presence.

It took them a bit to be ready, both showering and doing their hair. It also involved Ben making Armitage change because the poor man wanted to wear his suit. All it took for him to change was Ben telling him to save it for their art gallery date and a kiss or two and Armitage changed. While he was changing the first time, Ben called for an Uber.

Their ride to the reunion was okay, but the closer they got, the more nervous they got. Seven years, seven years of lies. How would his mother react? Would Han be there? What if they make them leave?

Ben is jolted from his anxious thoughts at feeling of a hand on his. It would be okay, he had Armitage. His husband wouldn't leave him, not like his Hans did or like Leia or Luke could upon receiving the news. It would all play out, it wasn't like he was a pimp or a drug dealer. Why would anyone leave him for being married either? Even if something happened, he had Armitage.

The black Sedan stopped and Ben was hit with a wave of memories, both good and bad. Besides the new paint job, the house was exactly the same. The two paid their driver and got out, the car leaving. There were three cars in the driveway of the two story, suburban house. So, this is where Ben grew up, Armitage thinks, taking in the view. It looked like an everyday house, typical of the houses he saw on television when he first moved before he was accepted into the CIA. Dusty brown brick and cedar siding covered the house, with ordinary small, round shrubs lining the walkway from the driveway.

Ben stopped walking, standing in front of the door. Was he afraid to knock? He quickly turns to his husband.

"What's our exit strategy?" his voice wavering.

"Our what?" Armitage was confused, at no point had they discussed an exit strategy.

"Oh my god, we're both going to die," Ben muttered, realizing there was no way out.

"You guys done yet?" A disembodied voice calls out from the doorway. "Rey is with Leia and they've kidnapped Finn, so I was watching the window hoping you would arrive and I wouldn't be the odd one out," the voice finishes as the two turn to find Poe Dameron.

"Mom got her already? We really are never going to be able to leave," he sighs, grabbing Armitage's hand and pulling him in to join Dameron.

Taking their shoes off and putting them in the front closet, the two follow Poe into the kitchen where they could hear the two women laugh and a deep chuckle, most likely Finn. The laughter abruptly ends when they enter the room and the women stare at them. Rey heads over and hugs the two men before pulling Poe over to where she and Finn were sitting, but not before whispering to her cousin that she was proud that he showed up and that they had his back.

"Hi mom, I'm home," Ben says, his voice quiet. Leia walks from around the island and embraces her son who she hadn't seen in over half a decade.

"Oh Ben, I'm so glad you came. I missed you. You ever do this again and I swear to God you won't hear the end of it from me, you are so lucky I don't kick your butt into next year." Slowly letting go of her son, Leia turns to the ginger next to him. "And you must be the 'babe' I heard Ben talk to on the phone, thank you for looking out for my son," she finishes, her voice going from unamused to happy and shaking Armitage's hand. Behind the island counter, Finn and Poe shivered. Scary.

"Nice to meet you Ms. Organa, my name is Armitage. Thank you for inviting me into your lovely home," Armitage smiles, putting on his most charming face. She didn't scare him at all and it would take a lot more to get him a tad bit terrified. "It's more your son looking out for me though, I don't know what I'd do without him in my life," he finishes in a modulated tone.

"Ben, how did you manage to snag this one? He is lovely."

"That's what I said! Those two are perfect together," Rey chimes in, smiling at the couple to show her support. The two would get through this. "We got to meet Armitage over brunch today and he is like the other half of Ben, they work perfectly don't they guys?"

"Almost as well as us." Finn responds and Poe smiles.

"They really do, they compliment each other well," Poe adds in, kissing his boyfriends forehead.

The group all gather spots around the table talking. Drinks and snacks later come out and when Luke arrives, he fires up the grill so they could eat some burgers. Armitage notices that Ben and Luke don't talk much. He'd love to know why, but it may be a tough topic and he didn't want to stress Ben out more than he already must be.

An hour and a bit passes as the group continue to converse when a quiet sneeze halts conversation.

"What the hell kind of noise was that?" Ben laughs, staring at Armitage.

"I sneezed."

"There is no way that was a sneeze, they are louder," he states, still laughing a bit.

"Ben, we do this every time, it was a sneeze you buffoon," Armitage sighs with a smile, knowing this happens every time. It was a funny discovery really, the man always had small quiet sneezes, a forced habit, so when Ben first sneezed and it was loud enough to shake a building, Armitage was amused. Every single time they would sneeze, the other would start this debate.

A phone rings out and everyone checks theirs before turning to Ben. Pulling out his phone, he sighs, tells everyone he will be right back and leaves the room.

"Who could that be?" Leia ponders out loud as everyone shrugs.

The conversations continue on and Ben walks out of the kitchen, down the hall, up the stairway and into his old bedroom upstairs. The bathroom downstairs was right off the kitchen and he didn't know if Phasma's call would be good for his family to accidentally hear.

"What's up Phasma, checking if I'm dead yet?" he responds, expecting humor in return.

"Ben, we have a problem," she lets out quietly, a deep sigh following as she's unsure of how to break the news.

"We are gone for two days and there is already a problem?"

"The flights, we tracked them and the money for the tickets."

"Shouldn't that be good news? Why call me?"

"It's Brendol and he's in San Francisco."


End file.
